Sheet metal braces for furniture legs



Feb. 8, 1966 RUDQW ET AL SHEET METAL BRACES FOR FURNITURE LEGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1964 INVENTORS HENRY Eupow Mame/cs Pupovv Feb. 8, 1966 H. RUDOW ET AL SHEET METAL BRACES FOR FURNITURE LEGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 13, 1964 INVENTORS HEA/E) Papal/v MHUE/CE Eupa w United States Patent Filed Apr. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 358,994

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-18891) This invention relates to braces for furniture legs and more particularly forked braces fabricated from planar sheet metal.

It is the object of the present invention to provide sheet metal braces for tubular furniture legs which may be fabricated at low cost, and which may be mounted on the furniture items at the factory and shipped to the retailer or consumer in a knock-down state for convenient connection to a tubular leg, so that it may perform its function as a brace therefor with minimum expenditure of cost in the assembly operation.

. It is another object of the present invention to fabricate braces of sheet metal which may be stamped and embossed at low cost to impart maximum strength to the braces, as well as to attain diversely novel ornamental effects.

1 It is another object of the invention to provide braces for table legs of tubular metal which are capable of functioning alternatively as pivotally mounted braces or as fixedly mounted braces.

Other objects and purposes will appear from the detailed description of the invention following hereinafter, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a forked brace which may be mounted pivotally on the underside of a piece of furniture such as a table, and which may be moved selectively from a knock-down position in the course of shipment, to an operative position when the same is connected to function as a brace for a tubular leg;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the leg brace in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a modified fixed mounting of the forked brace between a tubular leg and the underside of a piece of furniture;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view along line 6-6 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view along line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of forked brace for a tubular leg aflixed to the underside of a piece of furniture;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view along line 9-9 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a sectional view along line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

The present invention is concerned with the provision of forked braces of low cost, high strength and pleasant appearance for furniture legs L. The legs are generally hollow, of cylindrical or frusto-conical outline, and are adapted to be detachably connected to the undersides of pieces of furniture F, for example, a table, through the intermediary of brackets B. Many of the braces used heretofore were costly to fabricate, difilcult to affix to the components, and fell short of meeting the needs of bracing the legs sufliciently to cope with the loadings thereon over long periods of time.

The production of the forked braces from sheet metal in the manner disclosed herein results in many advantages over similar assemblies which have been used heretofore.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the forked brace in accordance with the invention is formed of two arms 1 and 2, which extend divergently from an apex 3. The apex joint 3 between the arms is curved concavely to conform to the convex cylindrical curvature of the lateral wall of the tubular leg L, and the longitudinal edges of the arm are provided with transversely extending flanges 20 to impart additional strength to the arms despite the relative thinness of the metal from which the brace is fabricated.

The terminal ends of the arms 1 and 2 are provided with inwardly facing arcuate flanges 5 and 6, respectively, as well as openings 7 and 8 near the ends of the arms which serve as pivot bearings for the latter. Sheet metal plates 11 and 12 are mounted on the underside of the piece of furniture at a uniform and symmetrical radial displacement with respect to the bracket B and adjacent to the terminal ends of the arms 1 and 2, respectively. Apertures 13 are provided in the plates 11 and 12 for the purpose of receiving screw fasteners 14 for aflixing the plates to the furniture unit. A projection is stamped from each of the ends of plates 11 and 12, adjacent to arms 1 and 2, to form trunnions 16 which may be hook-shaped with the end thereof facing the underside of the piece of furniture (FIG. 3). These trunnions are adapted to engage within bearing openings 7 and 8 of arms 1 and 2, respectively, to form pivotal mounts for the legs so that the brace may assume alternate positions, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the brace is assembled and mounted at the factory, the same may be positioned parallel to the underside of the piece of furniture, as indicated in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 2, and when the furniture arrives at its destination for use, the brace may be rotated on the trunnions 16 to bring the apex 3 adjacent to the tubular leg L which may be mounted upon the bracket B. These brackets may be of the type known in the art and may be of the type disclosed in our companion application entitled Mounting Brackets for Tubular Furniture Legs, filed October 17, 1963, Serial No. 316,809.

An aperture 4 is provided in the curved portion 3 at the apex of the brace for reception of a screw fastener 26 which is designed to pass through the aperture 4 and a cooperating aperture 25 in the lateral wall of the tubular leg.

'I'he arcuate flanges 5 and 6 are so shaped that when the brace is rotated between its alternative positions indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the under-surface of the piece of furniture is substantially tangent to these arcuate surfaces. The line contact between the brace and the surface overlying it gives rise to firm and stable support.

The constructions described above simplifies the connection of the sheet metal brace to a tubular furniture leg since the mounting of the brace onto the furniture unit is executed at the factory, and thereafter only the application of a single screw fastener 26 between the brace and the table leg is required to complete the assembly, following the attachment of the leg to the furniture unit. However, if desired, the forked brace may be used as -a fixed brace, without utilizing the pivotal mounts therefor which are afforded by the sheet metal plates 11 and 12 and trunnion lugs 16 projecting therefrom. Such an arrangement is shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.

An opening 21 is provided in each of the inwardly directed flanges 5 and 6 for the reception of a screw fastener 22 for aflixing the brace to the underside of the furniture unit. In this arrangement the openings 7 and 8, near the ends of the arms 1 and 2, perform no useful function and the only other connection which is required is that between the portion of the brace at the apex 3 and the tubular leg L, which connection is executed by means of a threaded fastener 26.

FIGS. 8 to 10 illustrate another embodiment of a sheet metal brace for detachable tubular legs for furniture units such as tables. The brace in this unit may be formed of arms 31 and 32 diverging from an apex 30 which is designed to embrace the outermost portion of the tubular leg 1. whereat the brace may be interconnected with the tubular leg by means of a threaded fastener 41. Flanges 37 and 38 extend transversely from the terminal ends of the arms 31 and 32, respectively, and openings 39 in the flanges are designed to receive screw or other threaded fasteners 40 for aifixing the brace to the undersurface of the table.

As illustrated in the drawing, the lateral edges 35 of the arms may be stamped along angular or curved lines to obtain desired ornamental effects, which may be accentuated by the provision of internally disposed openings 34. These ornamental effects may be enhanced by embossings 33 which not only improve the appearance of the brace, but also enhance the strength thereof.

The sheet metal braces in accordance with the invention may be stamped from brass, aluminum, sheet steel or any other metal capable'of functioning as a bracing structure for the furniture legs.

While We have described our invention as embodied in specific forms and .as operating in specific manners for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that we do not limit our invention thereto, since various modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of our invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

We claim:

1. A forked brace for tubular furniture legs formed of planar sheet metal and comprising integral arms diverging from an apex whereat is provided means for affixing the brace to a tubular leg adapted to be mounted to the underside of a piece of furniture through the intermediary of a "bracket support adapted to be fixed thereon, means at the opposite ends of said arms for pivotally mounting said brace for alternative positioning transversely of the underside of a piece of furniture to bring the apex thereof into fastening position with a furniture leg or parallel and adjacent to the underside of the piece of furniture in the course of shipment of a piece of furniture in a knock-down state, said second means comprising a pair of plates adapted to be affixed to the underside of a piece of furniture .at a uniform and symmetrical radial displacement from a bracket support for a tubular furniture leg, and a trunnion extending from each plate toward the other for engaging an opening provided near the terminal end of each arm, each trunnion being in the form of a hook-shaped projection facing the underside of a piece of furniture.

2. A forked brace for tubular furniture legs adapted to be connected to the underside of a piece of furniture through the intermediary of a bracket support adapted to be fixed thereon, said brace being formed of planar sheet metal and comprising integral arms diverging from an apex having .a concave surface to conform to the convex surface of a tubular leg and provided with an opening thereat for receiving a threaded fastener to afiix the brace to a furniture leg, means at the opposite ends of said arms for pivotally mounting said brace for alternative positioning transversely of the underside of a piece of furniture to bring the apex thereof into fastening position with the furniture leg or parallel and adjacent to the underside of a piece of furniture in the course of shipment of a piece of furniture in a knock-down state, said means comprising a pair of plates adapted to be affixed to the underside of a piece of furniture at a uniform and symmetrical radial displacement from the bracket support for the tubular furniture leg, and a trunnion extending from each plate toward the other for engaging an opening provided near the terminal end of each arm, and an arcuate flange extending inwardly and transversely from said terminal end "of each arm and adapted to'move between said alternative positions in a curved plane having the underside of a piece of furniture substantially tangent thereto.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein each arcuate flange is provided with an opening therein for receiving a fastener adapted to extend therethrough into the underside of a piece of furniture.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 546,147 9/1895 Gregg 29150 1,912,126 5/:1933 Corduan 108-l60 2,429,586 10/ 1947 Rompre 48-248 2,778,700 1/1957 Mayer 108115 2,837,392 6/1958 Straits 108-160 2,862,778 12/1958 Ra-hman 248-188 2,967,681 1/1961 Berquist 244-83 2,970,024 1/1961 'Urban 108*160 3,117,760 1/ 1964 Dresbach 248-370 CLAUDE A. LEROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FORKED BRACE FOR TUBULAR FURNITURE LEGS FORMED OF PLANAR SHEET METAL AND COMPRISING INTEGRAL ARMS DIVERGING FROM AN APEX WHEREAT IS PROVIDED MEANS FOR AFFIXING THE BRACE TO A TUBULAR LEG ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF A PIECE OF FURNITURE THROUGH THE INTERMEDIARY OF A BRACKET SUPPORT ADAPTED TO BE FIXED THEREON, MEANS AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID ARMS FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID BRACE FOR ALTERNATIVE POSITIONING TRANSVERSELY OF THE UNDERSIDE OF A PIECE OF FURNITURE TO BRING THE APEX THEREOF INTO FASTENING POSITION WITH A FURNITURE LEG OR PARALLEL AND ADJACENT TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE PIECE OF FURNITURE IN THE COURSE OF SHIPMENT OF A PIECE OF FURNITURE IN A KNOCK-DOWN STATE, SAID SECOND MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF PLATES ADAPTED TO BE AFFIXED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF A PIECE OF FURNITURE AT A UNIFORM AND SYMMETRICAL RADIAL DISPLACEMENT FROM A BRACKET SUPPORT FOR A TUBULAR FURNITURE LEG, AND A TRUNNION EXTENDING FROM EACH PLATE TOWARD THE OTHER FOR ENGAGING AN OPENING PROVIDED NEAR THE TERMINAL END OF EACH ARM, EACH TRUNNION BEING IN THE FORM OF A HOOK-SHAPED PROJECTION FACING THE UNDERSIDE OF A PIECE OF FURNITURE. 